Absence makes the heart grow fonder
by Bat Orchid
Summary: In which Kate Stewart faces the daunting prospect of spending an entire month without Osgood by her side, and Osgood tries to figure out why she suddenly feels so unbearably lonely.


**Disclaimer; All characters are the property of the BBC, Steven Moffatt, Russell T .Davies and their respective associates. **

"For God's sake Kate!" Martha screeched at her frustrating friend.

"Excuse me, what have I done to deserve that tone?" Kate asked.

"I just… You're not this person, this silly woman who sits and sulks. You're the first female head of UNIT who's changing everything for the better and – fucking hell – you're being even more stubborn than usual." Martha let out an exasperated sigh and held her head in her hands.

"I'm not stubborn." The blonde woman snapped. Speaking more softly she continued her reply, "I almost committed genocide today. I was going to. I planned to." Why hadn't she known better? She'd preached since her first day at UNIT that science came first. And today she had abandoned her own leading principle. The entire population of London, including her own son, almost died because of her.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. One city for the planet, plenty of people would have made the same decision." She wanted to tell her that she would, that she tried to do the same thing on a much bigger scale but the words died in her throat.

"Not the Doctor." Kate replied shaking her head, "Not the Doctor."

Martha frowned and rolled her eyes, "Don't tell him I said this but the Doctor is not the benevolent be all, end all of morals."

"I know," She relented, "I do."

"Speak to Osgood." Martha stated finally.

"I will."

"Now! Listen I'll meet you outside the cafe tomorrow at eleven yeah? I've got to go."

Kate murmured a quick goodbye and hung up before the other woman had chance. Tighter and tighter she clutched her hands together. Right and left gripped each other fiercely. It shouldn't be this hard to speak to a colleague. Planning to talk to one of her scientists shouldn't make her head fell heavy and her mouth dry.

Yet when she went to stand up she had a sudden flash of her last conversation with Osgood and found herself trapped in her own thoughts again. Memory hadn't saved the exact words but she could remember how she'd felt. Happy, not bothering to try and hide her smile as the brunette gushed over meeting _the _Time Lord. Unable to not feel endeared when she had to remind Osgood to use her inhaler before she collapsed from over excitement.

Then there was a sudden sharp pain in her chest. A deep, cold hurt. She was smiling and Osgood must have gone from praising the Doctor to praising Kate because all of a sudden they were both blushing, and Osgood was talking animatedly with hands, and she was biting her lip, and then Osgood said she was like a mum to her, and she wanted to vomit.

In all honesty she should have seen it coming. Act like a maternal figure and you'll be seen as such.

From day one she had looked out for Osgood; protecting her, shielding her, nurturing her. When it became obvious the new girl was too embarrassed to use her inhaler at work she had made a thousand tiny mistakes to prove everyone was human. Of course when that didn't work she sat and held the scientists hand, helping her to breathe while she had an asthma attack on her office floor. If the other staff so much as looked at Osgood patronisingly she had seen to it they were studying the intricacies of slitheen shit until they had learnt how to respect their co-workers.

Nobody made fun of the anxiety ridden scientist now obviously. Which was as much due to her utter excellence as it was to Kate's favouritism. Dad would have had her head for it; showing her weakness, her daft wheezing soft spot. Although he probably could have sympathised, he did like a pretty skirt. There had been a time when he thought the best thing a woman could be was a pretty skirt. Maybe she was turning into her dad, an old-fashioned misogynist. Looking at Osgood, the genius scientist, and wanting nothing more than to debauch her.

Christ, Gordon was only five years younger than Osgood. Though much less fragile, much more sure of himself, whereas Osgood was a walking collection of neuroses and brilliance. She would probably go into cardiac arrest if Kate mentioned sex in front of her never mind tried to seduce her. How could she put her in that situation, she was her boss and there's no way of broaching the subject without making her feel pressured.

"Ma'am?" A disembodied voice called.

A young corporal stood at the door with her back rigidly straight.

"What can I do for you Jenkins?"

"Sargent wanted me to find Osgood but obviously she isn't here." The soldier said with her chin held high, not breaking eye contact.

"Obviously not, however, I'm going to see her now so I'll brief her on the Alaska case."

"No disrespect Ma'am but you have had weeks to inform her about the mission. Clearly you have a problem with Osgood's involvement. I think it best that her orders are delivered by someone with whom she is not personally involved."

Jenkins' attitude was typical of the dogs. The military branch of UNIT may take their orders from her but they wouldn't do it with courtesy unless their lives depended on it. Maybe not even then.

"I'll inform her." She stated. The corporal looked unimpressed but nodded her consent. Fuck, now she definitely had to tell her. Right now. Fuck.


End file.
